For those people who use music in their shows, do you guys use royalty free music or do you guys use current and/or classic Top 40 hits? If you use current music that is popular, do you obtain a license for it or do you just use it? Interested to see what people who do magic, mentalism, or hypnosis do about this? The last thing you want is be doing a show and someone comes up and says they are going to sue you because you don't have the proper license for the music. I know the big boys like Copperfield use license music, but I am curious to see how everyone else does it?

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......1&28

This will give some info on copyright and performing rights of music.

What music you use is of personal choice of what type of atmosphere you want to create and also your budget.

I personally use my own music that I write (I also write music for others) in my shows. It is totally unique to me and I feel that helps in making me a little different from others.

I personally prefer Royalty Free music. There are several great royalty-free sources including http://www.arthurstead.com, http://www.bluetrammusic.com and http://www.opus1productions.com.

My greatest benefit from royalty-free music over popular tunes is that the audience's focus remains on my performance. Ever have a favorite tune evoke a particular memory. I don't want my audience drifting away into a song-induced daydream. I want their focus on ME. Fresh music does this.

I also want MY music to become MY brand. When my audiences hear a certain song from my royalty-free line-up, I want them to associate that song with ME and MY show. So...families who know me may be yards away at a festival or trade show...hear MY theme song begin playing and know instantly that I'm on stage and my show is beginning.

Music is a POWERFUL resource...use it wisely. And do yourself a HUGE favor and check out the thread Bill referred to above.

Skip

Just listened to those samples that Skip listed...

Couldn't get the first to play, and bluetram leaves much to be desired.

Opus1 though - that stuff sounds really good. Not the cheesy over synthesized stuff that other royalty free stuff sounds like.

I may look at the stuff from Opus1 more closely. Definitely great music!

Robert

If you are looking for an example music I write, you can go to my website. The music will start on the home page...give it a minute. This is actually a live version of a song from my Illusion show. It is also edited down (the whole song is actually 7 minutes long).

http://www.nuvoentertainment.com

I use Creative Commons music - there are some great artists offering to let people like us promote their music for them.

My favorite site to find music: http://soundclick.com



-JoeJoe

For those of you that use top 40 you will need to really watch what you try and use. ASCAP and BMI are the agencies that you will have to pay for use of music. From when I did my shows let me tell you that it would be cheaper for you to hire an orchestra to play your show than to pay for use on top 40 music (8 to 10 songs!!!

ASCAP and BMI are for rights to use the song ... you must also pay the recording studio for rights to use the actual recording.

And that would just be for the rights for the performance, if you record your performance so you can later release it as a DVD, you must negotiate a sync licence. And then if that DVD is ever to be broadcast on TV or the internet, you must again negotiate another licence - it is insanity!

-JoeJoe

One thing to keep in mind is that if you play in a bar or club that books bands they probably have annual licenses from BMI and ASCAP that might cover you.

Even if you pay the BMI/ASCAP licence ... you still need an additional license from the record company to use the recording. BMI/ASCAP is simply not enough to be within the letter of the law.

Often when you goto a resturant/store, you hear a song playing that you know - but it is not the orginal recording ... they hire bands to play the music so they own the rights to the recording, at which point then they only need to pay the ASCAP/BMI fees. But unless you have your own band, you will end up needing to pay someone for the actual recording ... plus, you will need to also pay the ASCAP/BMI fees.

To get the rights to the actual recording, you must contact the record company directly. Normaly, you can't just goto their website and pull out your credit card ... a few exceptions:

http://www.emimusicpub.com - more popular artists, but their catalog is limited to only songs they own rights to both the music and the recording

http://magnatune.com - an alternative to the big record companys, they have a nice catalog and affordable prices



-JoeJoe

Thanks for the tips on the music JoeJoe. I just might use some of that Magnatune music. Very affordable and I think it's actually cool to have properly licensed music in a show.